Tag: 21 Days of Y’ello Care
Africa and the Middle East, which are home to MTN’s 21 markets are characterised by an ever-increasing youthful population. While this dynamic presents exciting potential, it also poses some challenges, one of which is youth unemployment.
It is against this backdrop that MTN hosts its 13th edition of 21 Days of Y’ello Care, its annual employee volunteerism programme which runs from 1 to 21 June across the company’s footprint. MTN recognises the enormous potential that young people have to drive economic growth and help their communities to thrive. Hence the company will continue with youth empowerment as its theme for the 2019 Y’ello Care campaign.
Commenting on the campaign, MTN Group Executive for Corporate Affairs, Nompilo Morafo, said: “We believe that if we all join forces, youth empowerment can be realised and the prevalence of youth unemployment eradicated. Our goal for this year’s Y’ello Care programme is to do our part to support young people and help tackle various issues they face.”
Morafo adds, “As the leading mobile operator in emerging markets and given our understanding of the transformative power of digital innovation, we constantly seek opportunities to connect people with technology, so that all our stakeholders can enjoy the dividends of the digital age. As we embark on the Forth Industrial Revolution, we wish to help equip the youth with the skills and knowledge they require to effectively prepare themselves for the digital future.”
Some initiatives that MTN’s operations will engage in include: the establishment of an ICT hub for youth by MTN Business Kenya, computer skills training and an entrepreneurship fair hosted by MTN Benin, aimed at supporting young people to improve their employability. MTN Cameroon’s employees will help construct a multi-disciplinary skills enhancement training centre, while employees in Afghanistan will build a network-based research centre for students in the Information and Communication Technology Institute.
All participating Opcos stand in line to win monetary prizes, which are to be re-invested into community upliftment programmes in their market. These include the Group President & CEO prize of US$100 000, while the two recipients of the Vice President regional awards will each receive US $30 000.
Johannesburg – MTN Group has announced its Sudan operation as the winner of this year’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care employee volunteerism programme. The programme, which ran for 21 days in June, saw over 9000 employees across the company’s footprint dedicating their time and efforts to uplifting local communities. The initiative benefitted over 256 000 people across the company’s operations.
From 01 to 21 June, MTN employees partnered with a myriad of institutions to provide laptops, electronic boards, data, and training in ICT skills. In recognition of the impact of the projects, MTN Group awards prizes to the top four performing operations. This year, MTN Sudan claimed the coveted Group President and CEO prize of US$ 100 000.
MTN Sudan’s CEO, Malik Melamu said: “I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to MTN Sudan employees. Every year I see them coordinate their efforts all in the name of doing good in our communities, it is great that their efforts are recognised”.
MTN Sudan partnered with key stakeholders to uplift small enterprises; partners included an online shopping and logistics platform which created a merchant account for one of its beneficiaries that works with disabled people, offering them services for free. While another partner offered training at a discounted rate to beneficiaries for 12 months.
Throughout the programme, approximately 99 educational institutions were positively impacted across the MTN footprint. Furthermore, close to 7500 students were given career guidance through a new addition to the programme dubbed Y’ello Career Day. The career day was aimed at empowering young people by preparing them for the future of work through sharing insights into the digital future.
MTN Afghanistan received the Vice President Award for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The operating company was lauded for their excellent execution of the Y’ello Career Day, and other impactful programmes, which included the provision of brand ambassador training to female youth and the launch of a capacity building centre.
The Vice President Award for the Southern, East Africa and Ghana (SEAGHA) region went to MTN Uganda. The operation implemented a waste management campaign while simultaneously providing young people with training and tools on how to generate an income from waste.
MTN Benin received the Vice President Award for the West and Central Africa (WECA) region for their innovative use of ICT for educational purposes. As part of their main campaign, the team engaged with the Ministry of Education and collaborated with education experts to deliver e-learning content to students via the company’s digital classrooms as well as Facebook, to help them prepare for exams.
Recipients of the Vice President regional awards each receive US $30 000; all prize money received by the operations will be ploughed back into future community projects.
MTN Group Manager for Government Relations and CSI, Miranda Davids, said: “since its inception, 21 Days of Y’ello Care has had one primary objective, and that is to transform the lives of people where we operate. I am particularly proud of all MTNers that heed the call every year and dedicate their efforts to social good. I am excited about the future of the programme as this year we have re-oriented our CSI strategy to focus on Youth Empowerment. I look forward to seeing the lives of youth impacted for the better”.
Johannesburg – MTN’s annual employee volunteerism programme, 21 Days of Y’ello Care, which ended on 21 June saw thousands of employees from 20 countries across the MTN footprint taking part in various activities to impact the lives of the communities around them.
The initiatives ranged from clean-up campaigns, to building training institutions, refurbishing schools and libraries, establishing ICT centres, running health awareness campaigns, supporting orphans and raising funds for worthy causes.
The highlight of this year’s programme however, was the Global Y’ello Career Day held across 19 of the company’s operating companies. The career day was the perfect way to end a successful 21 days of employee volunteerism, with MTN joining forces with public and private sector entities to prepare young people for the future of work, by sharing insights into the digital future.
The youth were educated and enlightened about how technological advancements are reshaping the world as we know it, and the skills and competencies they need to acquire to succeed in the future. They were also given practical tips to help them bolster their employment prospects, and introduced to the concept and practice of entrepreneurship.
Reflecting on the career day, Miranda Davids, MTN Group Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Manager said: “The idea of the global career day was born out of our desire to support governments and other stakeholders to reduce the digital skills gap among the youth in our markets, so that they can take advantage of the opportunities presented by new technology.” She also lauded the efforts of all MTN employees who contributed to the success of this year’s edition of Y’ello Care, adding that it serves to strengthen the company’s community development efforts, particularly those aimed at uplifting the youth, who often feel marginalised and excluded from the digital economy.
During the 21 days some MTNers who operate in trying conditions rose to the challenge to make a difference to so many people’s lives, for instance, MTN Syria held Ramadhan Iftar for more than 300 orphans in Damascus, while MTNers in Afghanistan worked together to launch a capacity building centre, and in Sudan employees provided support to low income families by providing small urban farming units to be used as food sources and a means for generating income.
Other operations like MTN Business Kenya and MTN in Ghana engaged in activities aimed at ensuring environmental sustainability; Kenyan employees installed a bio-digester, to produce biogas for catering classes at a training centre while MTN Ghana collected plastic bottles for recycling at the James Town Beach in Accra. These are just a few of the activities that MTNers engaged in, but that will transform the lives of thousands of people.
All MTN operations that participated in Y’ello Care 2018 stand a chance to win monetary prizes, which will be re-invested into CSI or community upliftment programmes in their countries. These include the Group President and CEO prize of US$100 000, and first and second runner up prizes of US$30 000 each. Winners will be announced in the latter part of 2018.
– Issued by MTN Group Corporate Affairs
For more information, please contact:
Karen Byamugisha on +27 (0) 83 214 3685 or at Karen.byamugisha@mtn.com mtngrouppressoffice@mtn.com
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